# NASCAR fans: Is this the end of DEI? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462 "2007-05-09T22:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/1 "2007-05-09T22:30:57Z")
Dave Moody of MRN is reporting that tomorrow morning at 11, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to announce that he and Martin Truex Jr. will be driving Chevrolets for JR Motorsports next year, with Hendrick engines. Assuming this is true (and Moody’s not a guy who has a reputation for making stuff up) what does it mean for DEI? My guess is that Junior will get the owner points for the #8 and the #1, and then Teresa will cash the rest out and sell Paul Menard’s team to his father John, who can then merge it with Robby Gordon Motorsports and/or Robert Yates Racing as Fords. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/2 "2007-05-09T22:37:06Z")
Since this is about sports, I’ll move it to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/3 "2007-05-10T00:23:16Z")
I can guarantee the DEI is not going to let the Jr. take the owner’s points for the #8 and #1 next year, the provisional starts the first 5 races are way to valuable. And who gets the Budweiser sponsorship. Bud has a contract with DEI that runs through 2010. How much would it cost Bud to buy out the contract to follow Jr.? Bass Pro Shops is looking to cut back next year. I would think that a more likely scenario is Bud stepping up and helping Jr. buy the 51% share of DEI, Menard buys the other 49%, and Hendrick and DEI combine their engine building operations, much like Roush and Yates did a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/4 "2007-05-10T01:16:29Z")
The plot thickens. Yahoo! Sports is reporting it’s a done deal that Junebug and Truex are going to JR Motorsports with Hendrick cars and engines, but David Poole (the Peter Gammons of NASCAR) is saying the announcement will be only that Little E is a “free agent.” While I trust David Poole, I think there’s just too much smoke re: Junior and Hendrick for there not to be a fire there. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Ad\_Here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b2d939/32.png) [@Your\_Ad\_Here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Ad_Here)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/5 "2007-05-10T01:56:36Z")
No room at Hendrick, and you can’t win a championship with a start-up operation. So, it’s Truex to JR Motorsports Busch team to run full time for the championship in 2008, while Junior goes to RCR to bring out the black #3 again. After about three years or so, Junior buys (or is given) the number from Childress, moves JRM to Cup, and he and Truex run two teams, with RCR support and Kelley being the brains behind it all. Budweiser buys itself out of the DEI contract, and follows Junior wherever he goes. Theresa Earnhardt moves into Yoko Ono’s condo and appears on _Dancing With The Stars_ in 2009. ---
**Author:** ![Capa84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8edcca/32.png) [@Capa84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capa84)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/6 "2007-05-10T02:32:43Z")
It’s obvious that Gordon and Hendricks motorsports have been making interesting gestures to Dale Jr. all year…I would not be surprised next year, if he is a free agent, that he ends up there. There is obviously something going on wrt Hendricks and Jr, even if 99% of his fans refuse to admit it or see it. I think he will at least be using their engines. I for one would love to see how many hillbilly noggins explode if Jr and Gordon are teamates. ---
**Author:** ![Boggette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Boggette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boggette)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/7 "2007-05-10T11:14:08Z")
[QUOTE=Capa84] I for one would love to see how many hillbilly noggins explode if Jr and Gordon are teamates. [/QUOTE] Oh, truer words… ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/8 "2007-05-10T11:51:14Z")
[QUOTE=Capa84] I for one would love to see how many hillbilly noggins explode if Jr and Gordon are teamates. [/QUOTE] Not as many as if they were roommates. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2007, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/9 "2007-05-10T12:00:21Z")
But, back to the main point. . .DEI is in a lot of trouble if Dale leaves. I can’t even think of who they would get. . .maybe someone like Kurt Busch who hasn’t been with Penske for too long. Or, maybe they bring in some young fella. . .maybe Kyle Busch is sick of being third-fiddle. And, that would open up a spot for Junior at Hendrick. Just speculating, though. I have no idea what kind of deals these guys are in. ---
**Author:** ![Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Secret_Volcano_Lair)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/10 "2007-05-11T04:26:48Z")
[http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/Sports/Detail?contentId=3171381&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=6.1.1](http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/Sports/Detail?contentId=3171381&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=6.1.1) I say BS, but this article claims that he has already signed with Childress. ---
**Author:** ![Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Secret_Volcano_Lair)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/11 "2007-05-11T09:16:10Z")
[http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3171988&version=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1](http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3171988&version=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1) Wow, maybe I was wrong. I just didn’t expect anything to move along this quick. Now they’re saying that Richard Childress has a press conference scheduled tomorrow at Darlington. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/12 "2007-05-11T12:04:46Z")
I think Dale Jr. will drive for Childress (based on Jayski’s this morning). I also think NASCAR will adjust the guaranteed “qualifying” from the current top-35 in owner points. They might have done this anyway based on the obvious problems this year with good qualifying cars being aced out by owner points. But I’m cynical enough to believe they will absolutely do something (moving heaven and earth?) if it’s necessary to guarantee Dale Jr. won’t miss a race. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-fans-is-this-the-end-of-dei/403462/13 "2007-05-11T16:00:01Z")
If he moves to a team that is outside the top-35 in owner’s points, you can gawd-dang-gar-un-tee that the qualifying rules will be changed, and right quickly too. DEI is pretty much done, JR is the only driver there who has had any real success, though I suspect he was also being given the pick of the best equipment. Who better to oversupport than the guy who’s name bears a striking resemblence (with more letters) to the one on the door. While I am a Waltrip (Mikey) fan, the 15 team (or 1 team last season) isn’t doing much better than they did with Waltrip in the seat. If I’m making early Silly Season guesses, I’d propose the following: Dale to RCR (not driving the #3… yet…) Biffle to DEI with Rouch closing out that team to get under the Car cap. Truex to JRM to drive as a RCR satellite team (or perhaps another Hendrick satellite team) '06 RoTY (Busch) Danny O’Quinn will still have no solid ride (biggest shame in NASCAR at the moment)